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If you collect Pokémon cards seriously, or treat them as an investment, professional grading is not a luxury but a necessity. Alongside PSA, Beckett Grading Services (BGS) has been one of the most respected grading companies in the world for years. In this article we explain what Beckett Grading is, why it can be worth it, how it differs from PSA and what has changed recently – including their new facility in Germany.

What is Beckett Grading?

Beckett Grading Services (BGS) assesses trading cards on four separate criteria:

  • Centering
  • Corners
  • Edges
  • Surface

Each category gets its own score, which then produces a final grade between 1 and 10. That system is considerably more detailed than PSA, which gives one overall grade only. For serious collectors, Beckett therefore offers more transparency about the exact quality of a card.

A BGS 10 is known as Pristine and counts as one of the highest grades in the hobby.

beckett grading logo

Why do collectors choose Beckett?

1. A more detailed assessment

Where PSA gives you a single number, Beckett shows exactly where a card falls short. That is especially valuable on high-end cards, where small imperfections cause big differences in price.

2. Pristine 10 and Black Label 10

Beckett is unique because of the Black Label 10. You only get that grade when all four subgrades come back as a 10. Black Labels are extremely rare and often valued higher than PSA 10 cards.

3. A strong reputation on top-quality cards

Beckett is mostly used for cards collectors expect to be genuinely perfect. On middling cards Beckett is often less forgiving than PSA – and that is exactly why top collectors trust it.

Beckett vs PSA: the key differences

Grading system

  • PSA: one overall grade. A PSA 10, for instance, counts as perfect.
  • Beckett: four subgrades for centering, corners, edges and surface, plus the possibility of a Pristine 10 or a Black Label 10.

Market position

  • PSA is the biggest name worldwide and the most liquid on the secondary market. Cards with a PSA 10 are often treated as the gold standard.
  • Beckett carries more prestige on flawless cards. With a BGS 10 Black Label your card can be worth more than a PSA 10.

Selling on

PSA cards sell faster on average.
Beckett Black Labels sell less often, but at extremely high prices.

New development: a Beckett facility in Germany

An important update: Beckett recently opened a European grading and intake facility in Germany. That is a big step for European collectors.

What does that mean in practice?

  • Lower shipping costs within Europe
  • No more shipping directly to the US
  • Fewer customs and import problems
  • Faster turnaround times for EU customers

For Dutch and Belgian collectors that lowers the barrier to using Beckett considerably. It makes Beckett a far more realistic alternative to PSA than it was a few years ago.

What does Beckett Grading cost?

Prices depend on the service level and the value of the card. As an indication:

  • Standard grading: from around €22.95 per card
  • Express grading: from around €89.95 per card

Faster services and higher insured values mean higher costs. Beckett is not a budget option; it is clearly aimed at serious cards.

Is Beckett Grading available in the Netherlands?

Yes. With the German facility and a range of European submission partners, Beckett is now easy to reach for Dutch collectors. Do watch out for a few things:

  • Always pick a reliable submitter
  • Check the insurance and who is liable
  • Count on longer waiting times than with PSA's EU partners